76ers Head to Midwest To Face Cavaliers
The Philadelphia 76ers take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon.
The 76ers (7-5) have dealt with a combination of injuries, suspensions and poor play after a strong start to the campaign, and they'll come into Sunday's contest having dropped five of their last seven games. Their most recent stumble came against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which toppled them by a 127-119 score in overtime on Friday night. Joel Embiid led the 76ers with a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double that he complemented with two assists and one steal. Richardson followed with 28 points and added three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Tobias Harris delivered 21 points, six rebounds and three assists. Ben Simmons contributed 16 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and one steal. Al Horford supplied 12 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
The 76ers will come into Sunday's game without any injuries to report.
The Cavaliers (4-7) also head into this matinee clash in the midst of a skid, as Cleveland has also lost five of its last seven contests. Their most recent defeat came courtesy of the Miami Heat, which bested them by a 108-97 margin on Thursday evening. Kevin Love paced the Cavaliers with a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included one assist, four steals and one block. Collin Sexton delivered 15 points, four boards, three assists and one steal. Larry Nance checked in with 14 points, eight boards and three steals. Cedi Osman contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and one assist. Darius Garland and Jordan Clarkson furnished 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Cavaliers will list Nance (thumb) and Ante Zizic (foot) as questionable for Sunday's game. John Henson (hamstring) will remain out.
The 76ers hold a 1-0 lead in the four-game 2019-20 season series between the teams, having notched a 98-97 win back on Nov. 12.
The 76ers (7-5) have dealt with a combination of injuries, suspensions and poor play after a strong start to the campaign, and they'll come into Sunday's contest having dropped five of their last seven games. Their most recent stumble came against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which toppled them by a 127-119 score in overtime on Friday night. Joel Embiid led the 76ers with a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double that he complemented with two assists and one steal. Richardson followed with 28 points and added three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Tobias Harris delivered 21 points, six rebounds and three assists. Ben Simmons contributed 16 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and one steal. Al Horford supplied 12 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
The 76ers will come into Sunday's game without any injuries to report.
The Cavaliers (4-7) also head into this matinee clash in the midst of a skid, as Cleveland has also lost five of its last seven contests. Their most recent defeat came courtesy of the Miami Heat, which bested them by a 108-97 margin on Thursday evening. Kevin Love paced the Cavaliers with a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included one assist, four steals and one block. Collin Sexton delivered 15 points, four boards, three assists and one steal. Larry Nance checked in with 14 points, eight boards and three steals. Cedi Osman contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and one assist. Darius Garland and Jordan Clarkson furnished 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Cavaliers will list Nance (thumb) and Ante Zizic (foot) as questionable for Sunday's game. John Henson (hamstring) will remain out.
The 76ers hold a 1-0 lead in the four-game 2019-20 season series between the teams, having notched a 98-97 win back on Nov. 12.
Celtics Continue West Coast Swing Against Kings
The Boston Celtics take on the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on Sunday afternoon.
As their record implies, the Celtics (10-1) come into Sunday's contest as the hottest team in the NBA. Their stellar mark includes five road wins in six tries, the most recent which they notched over the Golden State Warriors by a 105-100 margin Friday night. Jayson Tatum paced the Celtics with 24 points, adding eight rebounds, one assist and three steals. Jaylen Brown followed with 22 points, eight boards, three assists and three steals. Kemba Walker totaled 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. Marcus Smart mustered 15 points, four assists, three boards, two steals and one block.
The Celtics will list Robert Williams (ankle) as questionable for Sunday's game, while Gordon Hayward (hand) will remain out.
The Kings (4-7) have encountered success a lot less than their Sunday opponent this season, and they're coming off a narrow 99-97 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, a defeat that snapped a brief two-game winning streak. Buddy Hield led the way with 21 points, complementing them with eight rebounds, three assists and one steal. Bogdan Bogdanovic was next with 18 points, adding five assists, three rebounds and two steals. Richaun Holmes supplied 17 points and eight rebounds. Yogi Ferrell poured in 14 points and also dished out three assists. Nemanja Bjelica delivered 11 points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals.
The Kings will continue to be without Marvin Bagley (thumb) and De'Aaron Fox (ankle) on Sunday. Trevor Ariza (groin) and Caleb Swanigan (ankle) are both likely to be game-time decisions at best.
The Celtics swept the 2018-19 two-game season series between the teams. Sunday's contest marks the first of two 2019-20 meetings for Boston and Sacramento.
As their record implies, the Celtics (10-1) come into Sunday's contest as the hottest team in the NBA. Their stellar mark includes five road wins in six tries, the most recent which they notched over the Golden State Warriors by a 105-100 margin Friday night. Jayson Tatum paced the Celtics with 24 points, adding eight rebounds, one assist and three steals. Jaylen Brown followed with 22 points, eight boards, three assists and three steals. Kemba Walker totaled 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. Marcus Smart mustered 15 points, four assists, three boards, two steals and one block.
The Celtics will list Robert Williams (ankle) as questionable for Sunday's game, while Gordon Hayward (hand) will remain out.
The Kings (4-7) have encountered success a lot less than their Sunday opponent this season, and they're coming off a narrow 99-97 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, a defeat that snapped a brief two-game winning streak. Buddy Hield led the way with 21 points, complementing them with eight rebounds, three assists and one steal. Bogdan Bogdanovic was next with 18 points, adding five assists, three rebounds and two steals. Richaun Holmes supplied 17 points and eight rebounds. Yogi Ferrell poured in 14 points and also dished out three assists. Nemanja Bjelica delivered 11 points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals.
The Kings will continue to be without Marvin Bagley (thumb) and De'Aaron Fox (ankle) on Sunday. Trevor Ariza (groin) and Caleb Swanigan (ankle) are both likely to be game-time decisions at best.
The Celtics swept the 2018-19 two-game season series between the teams. Sunday's contest marks the first of two 2019-20 meetings for Boston and Sacramento.
Magic Look To Stay Strong At Home
By Dan Bruno
The Orlando Magic play host to the Washington Wizards, at Amway Center on Sunday evening.
This marks the fifth and final game of a home stand for the Magic (5-7), where they have gone 3-1, including wins in their two most recent contests. The Magic are 5-3 at home this season. The Magic are averaging 100.3 points per game, which is second lowest in the league, but are holding their opponents to a league-low 99.9 points per game. They are averaging 9.1 three-pointers per game, which is second fewest in the league. They also are limiting themselves to 12.6 turnovers per game, which is second fewest in the league. Nikola Vucevic leads the Magic with 17.2 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. Evan Fournier is averaging 16.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Jonathan Isaac (ankle) missed the Magic's last contest and remains questionable for action on Sunday. Isaac averages 12.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and a team-high 2.8 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, this marks the third and final game of a road trip for the Wizards (3-7), where they have gone 1-1, with a loss in Boston, followed by a win in Minnesota, in their most recent contest. The Wizards are averaging 117.7 points per game, which is fourth most in the league, while they are giving up an average of 119.6 points against, which is third most in the league. The Wizards are shooting 46.9 percent from the field, which is seventh best in the league. Bradley Beal leads the Wizards with 29.7 points per game, including back-to-back 44-point performances in the Wizards' two most recent contests. Thomas Bryant is averaging 14.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 blocks per game.
This marks the fifth and final game of a home stand for the Magic (5-7), where they have gone 3-1, including wins in their two most recent contests. The Magic are 5-3 at home this season. The Magic are averaging 100.3 points per game, which is second lowest in the league, but are holding their opponents to a league-low 99.9 points per game. They are averaging 9.1 three-pointers per game, which is second fewest in the league. They also are limiting themselves to 12.6 turnovers per game, which is second fewest in the league. Nikola Vucevic leads the Magic with 17.2 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. Evan Fournier is averaging 16.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Jonathan Isaac (ankle) missed the Magic's last contest and remains questionable for action on Sunday. Isaac averages 12.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and a team-high 2.8 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, this marks the third and final game of a road trip for the Wizards (3-7), where they have gone 1-1, with a loss in Boston, followed by a win in Minnesota, in their most recent contest. The Wizards are averaging 117.7 points per game, which is fourth most in the league, while they are giving up an average of 119.6 points against, which is third most in the league. The Wizards are shooting 46.9 percent from the field, which is seventh best in the league. Bradley Beal leads the Wizards with 29.7 points per game, including back-to-back 44-point performances in the Wizards' two most recent contests. Thomas Bryant is averaging 14.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 blocks per game.
Grizzlies Look To Build On Three-Game Win Streak
By Dan Bruno
The Memphis Grizzlies play host to the Denver Nuggets, at FedEx Forum on Sunday evening.
This marks the second game of a four-game home stand for the Grizzlies (5-7), which they kicked off with a win over the Jazz on Sunday. The Grizzlies have won three in a row and are 3-4 at home this season. Ja Morant is leading the team with 18.9 points and 6.0 assists per game. Dillon Brooks is averaging 14.2 points, while shooting 39 percent from long range. Jonas Valanciunas is averaging 12.6 points and a team-high 9.3 rebounds per game. The Grizzlies are averaging 26.8 assists per game, which is third most in the league. The Grizzlies are giving up an average of 117.9 points per game, which is sixth most in the league, while they are scoring an average of 109.8 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets (8-3) have won five of their last six games. They have won two straight on the road and are 2-3 on the road this season. The Nuggets are averaging just 104.7 points per game, which is fourth fewest in the league, but are holding their opponents to 101.9 points, which is also fourth fewest in the league. Jamal Murray is the Nuggets' leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points per game. Nikola Jokic is averaging team-high with 9.1 points and 5.8 assists per game. Will Barton is averaging 15.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. The Nuggets do a solid job taking care of the ball, as they are averaging 12.6 turnovers per game, which is third best in the league.
This marks the second game of a four-game home stand for the Grizzlies (5-7), which they kicked off with a win over the Jazz on Sunday. The Grizzlies have won three in a row and are 3-4 at home this season. Ja Morant is leading the team with 18.9 points and 6.0 assists per game. Dillon Brooks is averaging 14.2 points, while shooting 39 percent from long range. Jonas Valanciunas is averaging 12.6 points and a team-high 9.3 rebounds per game. The Grizzlies are averaging 26.8 assists per game, which is third most in the league. The Grizzlies are giving up an average of 117.9 points per game, which is sixth most in the league, while they are scoring an average of 109.8 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets (8-3) have won five of their last six games. They have won two straight on the road and are 2-3 on the road this season. The Nuggets are averaging just 104.7 points per game, which is fourth fewest in the league, but are holding their opponents to 101.9 points, which is also fourth fewest in the league. Jamal Murray is the Nuggets' leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points per game. Nikola Jokic is averaging team-high with 9.1 points and 5.8 assists per game. Will Barton is averaging 15.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. The Nuggets do a solid job taking care of the ball, as they are averaging 12.6 turnovers per game, which is third best in the league.
Pelicans Host Warriors on Sunday
The Golden State Warriors travel to The Big Easy to play the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Sunday.
The Warriors (2-11) played one of their best games of the season on Friday but it was yet another loss. The simple fact is, this team has too much talent on its sidelines to compete in the NBA. Not having Klay Thompson coming into the year was a big detriment but losing Stephen Curry in the opening week made it impossible for this team to compete. What's really disturbing is the fact that D'Angelo Russell left that loss on Friday with a hand injury. He's expected to sit out about two weeks and that's an absolute disaster if he misses any more time than that. In all these player's absences, it's up to guys like Eric Paschall, Ky Bowman and Jordan Poole to run the show.
The Pelicans (3-9) are one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA but they've been bitten by the injury bug pretty badly themselves. Losing Zion Williamson in the preseason was a huge bummer but he's not the only one. Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are currently out too and that's really distressing with Ingram playing at an All-Star level this season. That has turned a hopeful season into another ugly one and that's become way too common for this team over recent years. The good news is that they have the pieces to get out of this hole and it'll be interesting to see all of these players play with one another when that day eventually comes. Unfortunately, J.J. Redick, Frank Jackson and Derrick Favors are all nicked up too and it's a wonder who will be able to play here for New Orleans.
Golden State has dominated this series ever since the Pelicans were named the Hornets. In fact, the Warriors have won 24 of their last 26 games against this franchise in total dating back to 2012.
The Warriors (2-11) played one of their best games of the season on Friday but it was yet another loss. The simple fact is, this team has too much talent on its sidelines to compete in the NBA. Not having Klay Thompson coming into the year was a big detriment but losing Stephen Curry in the opening week made it impossible for this team to compete. What's really disturbing is the fact that D'Angelo Russell left that loss on Friday with a hand injury. He's expected to sit out about two weeks and that's an absolute disaster if he misses any more time than that. In all these player's absences, it's up to guys like Eric Paschall, Ky Bowman and Jordan Poole to run the show.
The Pelicans (3-9) are one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA but they've been bitten by the injury bug pretty badly themselves. Losing Zion Williamson in the preseason was a huge bummer but he's not the only one. Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are currently out too and that's really distressing with Ingram playing at an All-Star level this season. That has turned a hopeful season into another ugly one and that's become way too common for this team over recent years. The good news is that they have the pieces to get out of this hole and it'll be interesting to see all of these players play with one another when that day eventually comes. Unfortunately, J.J. Redick, Frank Jackson and Derrick Favors are all nicked up too and it's a wonder who will be able to play here for New Orleans.
Golden State has dominated this series ever since the Pelicans were named the Hornets. In fact, the Warriors have won 24 of their last 26 games against this franchise in total dating back to 2012.
Lakers Host Hawks on Sunday
The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center on Sunday.
The Hawks (4-8) are playing their third game in four nights here and it certainly hasn't been a prosperous stretch. In fact, Atlanta comes into this matchup losing five of their last six games. That will happen for a young team when they have to play a lot of road games in a row, especially one who has been losing many key pieces. The John Collins suspension was obviously a huge disappointment and then the Kevin Huerter injury just adds more frustration to that situation. That's left Trae Young to feast and he's doing just that. In fact, Young is currently averaging 27.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game. What's really amazing about him is the fact that he's regularly pulling up and making 30-footers, changing the way people have to defend him. If he can keep doing that when Collins and Huerter return, this could be a team to fear in the second half.
The Lakers (10-2) have the second-best record in the NBA right now and it's truly amazing just how good this team has become. The addition of Anthony Davis is obviously a major reason why but he's not the only one who's made this team better. Players like Danny Green, Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard have come in and given this team a defensive presence, which has been the key to their success this season. In fact, Los Angeles owns the best defensive rating in the NBA and it says a lot about how committed they are on that end of the floor. That's scary with Davis providing 25 points and 15 rebounds while LeBron James is dropping triple-doubles at will.
While they did split the two-game season series last year, the Lakers have won five of their last six games over the Hawks in total.
The Hawks (4-8) are playing their third game in four nights here and it certainly hasn't been a prosperous stretch. In fact, Atlanta comes into this matchup losing five of their last six games. That will happen for a young team when they have to play a lot of road games in a row, especially one who has been losing many key pieces. The John Collins suspension was obviously a huge disappointment and then the Kevin Huerter injury just adds more frustration to that situation. That's left Trae Young to feast and he's doing just that. In fact, Young is currently averaging 27.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game. What's really amazing about him is the fact that he's regularly pulling up and making 30-footers, changing the way people have to defend him. If he can keep doing that when Collins and Huerter return, this could be a team to fear in the second half.
The Lakers (10-2) have the second-best record in the NBA right now and it's truly amazing just how good this team has become. The addition of Anthony Davis is obviously a major reason why but he's not the only one who's made this team better. Players like Danny Green, Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard have come in and given this team a defensive presence, which has been the key to their success this season. In fact, Los Angeles owns the best defensive rating in the NBA and it says a lot about how committed they are on that end of the floor. That's scary with Davis providing 25 points and 15 rebounds while LeBron James is dropping triple-doubles at will.
While they did split the two-game season series last year, the Lakers have won five of their last six games over the Hawks in total.